Chilled summer treats from across the Tristate

Looking for the best places to indulge
this summer? Try out any of these local frozen treat shops for a hearty
dip into the many innovative chilled foods Cincinnati has to offer
(outside of ice cream classics such as Graeter’s, Aglamesis Brothers and
UDF). Ring in your summer with a StreetPops ice pop and send it off
with a pint of Madisono’s Gelato. Whether they’re one of the big names
all Cincinnatians love or a family-run independent business, frozen
treat establishments are sure to keep us reaching for another scoop,
another swirl, another one altogether, this time with hot fudge.

SWEET STOPS AND STOREFRONTS

Chill Shaved Ice Bar — This
shaved ice vendor was the product of one woman’s desire to produce
tasty and refreshing shaved ice without the traditional chemical syrups.
The menu includes more than 35 all-natural gourmet syrups, with nine or
10 flavors rotating to guarantee ultimate freshness. The unique
experience of Chill Shaved Ice Bar comes from customers’ ability to
“create their own chill,” whether that means a combination of flavors or
an entirely new idea. Their lemonade and mint leaf combo, for example,
came from a customer who had recently visited the Mediterranean, and the
menu boasts a variety of toppings, add-ons and sugar-free options.
Visit Chill Shaved Ice Bar at Krohn Conservatory through June and
Saturdays and Sundays at Findlay Market. Visit chillshavedice.com for more info.

Summer specials:The
most popular summer syrup? A cool fresh-squeezed lemonade and mint leaf
combination, served over shaved ice, as a lemonade or as a soda.

Dojo Gelato — Dojo
Gelato specializes in creating authentic Italian-style ice creams and
sorbettis in their Findlay Market shop. Using fresh and local
ingredients, Dojo drums up 12 rotating flavors from scratch every day
and calls on nothing but the best gelato batch freezers, imported all
the way from Bologna, Italy. Some of the most recent flavors (updated
weekly on their Facebook page) include The Big Lebowski, Mexican
Vanilla, and B-A-N-A-N-A-S!, all available on the new Dojo Gelato and
Espresso Truck. Look for Dojo at their Findlay Market location
year-round. A detailed history of Dojo and an explanation of their
flavor rotation is available online. 137 W. Elder St., Findlay Market, 513-328-9000, dojogelato.com.

Summer specials:
Their new Gelatowich, composed of Belgian Chocolate-n-Mount Caramel
Stout Gelato sandwiched between two Take the Cake Double Dark Chocolate
Chip Cookies. Now that’s amore!

Madisono’s Gelato — Made
in 10-quart batches, Madisono’s gelato and sorbet is fresh, flavorful
and available in stores and restaurants throughout the Cincinnati area.
Madisono’s uses natural cane sugar, Belgian chocolate, bovine growth
hormone-free milk from a local dairy and fresh herbs to create quality
products and unique flavors. Visit madisonosgelato.blogspot.com for updates and a complete list of stores and restaurants with Madisono’s in stock.

Summer special:
One of the most recent Madisono inventions is the Madisono Tartufo, a
truffle composed of chocolate ganache, gelato and more chocolate.

Phro*Zen — A
vegan frozen dessert company started by two local sisters, Phro*Zen
believes that everyone — vegan, omnivore, gluten-free — should be able
to enjoy the simplicity and happiness provided by frozen treats.

Related content

They
specialize in non-dairy sweets with flavors like Enlightened Lemon
Lavender and Mint Meditation. Find their products at local retailers
including Park + Vine (1202 Main St., Over-the-Rhine) and Jungle Jim’s
(5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield). Call 513-222-2381 for current flavors and location information.

StreetPops — Traditional
Popsicles get a makeover at this gourmet ice pop shop. The 50-plus
flavors are divided into fruit-based and cream-based blends, boasting
such combinations as pineapple habanero and orange soysicle. Because the
shop uses only the freshest and most local ingredients whenever
possible, some flavors are only available at certain times of the year.
Unlike most ice pop brands, StreetPops has ditched the high fructose
corn syrup in favor of organic fruit and herb combinations that will
keep you satisfied all summer long. Look for them on Main Street or at
the Findlay Market and Hyde Park markets on Saturdays and Sundays. 1437 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-446-7505, streetpops.com.

Yagööt — Don’t be
fooled — this local chain establishment is more than your
run-of-the-mill self-serve frozen yogurt joint. With low-calorie,
90-percent fat-free products, Yagööt keeps customers coming back for a
healthy but tasty alternative to fattening processed desserts. Stores
keep four flavors in stock at a time, including original and strawberry
year-round, as well as two seasonal flavors that rotate each month. By
far, the flavor customers crave most is none other than original, with
carmelized pineapple clocking in at a close second. For more information, a complete rotating flavor calendar and store locations, visit yagootyogurt.com.

Summer specials:White
peach, one of July’s seasonal flavors and the only flavor to ever
outsell original, will spend a month alongside pear, a Yagöötflavor debut set for June.

CREAMY WHIPS AND TREAT TRAILERS

Jonesing for jimmies and old-fashioned
soda shop charm? These local hot spots, open only during the summer
months, will keep your taste buds and your nostalgia satisfied even
after they’ve closed up shop for the fall. From trolley cars to snow
castles, these independent family-friendly establishments are some of
Cincinnati’s best-kept secrets, striving to keep frozen treats a thing
of the past and future.

Gold Top Dairy Bar – Sporting
a large gold roof, Gold Top Dairy Bar advertises a classic creamy whip
menu with unique local items such as the Cardinal Cone and the Clancy
Clown. Also on the menu: ice cream cakes, pies, and cupcakes — yes, the
cupcakes are filled not with icing but with ice cream. 2810 Blue Rock Road, White Oak, goldtopdairybar.com.

Loveland Dairy Whip – This
creamy whip, opened in 1955, has been owned by the same family for more
than 30 years. The customer favorite remains the Chocolate Mountain — a
combination of chocolate ice cream, pudding, hot fudge, whipped cream
and chocolate sprinkles. 611 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland, theldw.com.

Putz’s Creamy Whip — Opened
as a pair of trolley cars in 1938, Putz’s Creamy Whip has continued
serving up all the classics on a daily basis: Krunch cones, malts, wagon
wheels and chocolate-dipped frozen bananas, sure to intrigue any Arrested Development
fans. Family owned and operated, Putz’s continues to flourish with
loyal customers, quality products and a dedication to the creamy whip
philosophy that real creamy whip only exists in the summer. Cash only. 2673 Putz Place, Westwood, putzscreamywhip.com.

The Root Beer Stand — Opened
in 1957, The Root Beer Stand was recently ranked No. 12 among the “Top
100 Places of Cincinnati,” and for good reason. Using water from their
280-foot well, The Stand has been crafting their own special root beer
for eager customers for more than 50 years. The cash-only trailer sells
root beer by the jug, ice cream and, of course, root beer floats. 11566 Reading Road, Sharonville, therootbeerstand.com.

Sno Castle — With
a hefty menu of more than 100 flavors of snow cones, sizes range from
princes to knights to kings, with popular flavors being the
ever-traditional cherry, polar punch and tiger blood. And although the
original graffiti-covered castle resides in a parking lot on Decoursey
Avenue, a replacement trailer is already up and running for the summer. 202 W. Southern Ave., Latonia, Ky., facebook.com/sno.castle.

Zip Dip —
A soft serve lover’s paradise. The menu includes cones, malts, shakes,
yogurts, sundaes, novelties and more, along with flavors of the week
such as blueberry sundae. Zip Dip has been serving families, baseball
teams and locals since 1950 and continues to serve up and dish out
premium ice creams and old-fashioned charm. 4050 Drew Ave., Bridgetown, zip-dip.com.

Creamy Whip Lingo to Know

Creamy whip: A type of frozen ice cream similar to soft serve. The term can also be used to refer to the building/trailer from which the creamy whip is sold.